I have the Maxxum 5D with a digital wide angle lens. I also use the older telephoto lens from the Maxxum 5 on the 5D. I see no difference between the lenses, but all the photos taken with either lens on the digital camera are generally less sharp than they are using the film camera.

I prefer the older lenses! For my Nikon digital gear I have bought 6 AI lenses for $40 each delivered! The older lenses have a wonderful coherence and color balance. The new ones are nice too, but I really enjoy my older lenses a lot and plan on getting more.

When used within the acknowledged limits of the pre-digital lens coatings, I've had excellent results from older 'classic' glass and would not willingly give up their superior build and optical qualities.

I own a Nikon F5 and a Nikon D-100. I am an advanced amateur who owns Nikon lenses ranging from 28mm to 1000mm and, I mainly shoot color positive film with my F5 and find no difference in Image quality when I use the same lenses on my digital SLR. The only difference that I see is the magnification. I can get closer with my long distance lenses & not quite as close with wide angle when using these lenses on the digital camera.

While speaking ONLY for the Nikon system, if you need fast lenses (f2.8 or faster),then you're only choice is "legacy" lenses. In my experience, these lenses deliver exceptional clarity with virtually no chromatic distortion on DSLR's.

Although more difficult to focus, older lenses have distinct qualities or focal lengths that are useful. Especially useful are fast primes for shallow depth of field. Also, if you've got them, why not use them?

Some of the problems that many claim to be having may be due to the quality of the legacy lenses being used. I reaaly don't know. However, what I do know, is that I have both types of lenses in like manners, ie 75-200mm Zoom to note only one lens. I cannot see a difference in the work either of these units produces, not even when out of curiosity I produced multiple but identical shots usin both the digital and the legacy lens.

My grand father gave me lenses that he bought roughly 30yrs ago for his pentax k1000 that I now use on my Pentax k100d. I use them mostly for shooting bands and the quality is just as good as some of todays new digital lenses.